Term-time holidays: Mother slams system that sees her fined after ex-husband took their son to Florida

FINE FURY: Parent Christina McGilligan-Fell feels the system of fining parents for allowing children to take holidays in term time is unfair. Pictured with her is her son Dominic Fell, 16, a former Tollbar Academy student. Picture: Abby Ruston

A PARENT who was fined after her ex-husband took her son away on holiday has criticised the stringent system which she feels unfairly punishes single parents.

Christina McGilligan-Fell has spoken out against fines for parents who take their children out of school for holidays after the Grimsby Telegraph revealed that 359 were handed out in the 2011-2012 academic year for absences – including unauthorised holidays in term-time.

Ms McGilligan-Fell, who is also a North East Lincolnshire councillor, but was speaking as a parent, told the Telegraph how her son Dominic was refused permission to go on holiday to Florida in September 2011 with her ex-husband – who now lives in London and rarely gets to spend quality time with Dominic.

She claims that not only did Tollbar Academy refuse permission at the very beginning of the school year but it fined both parents – who split long ago – £50 each.

Ms McGilligan-Fell felt the fine was unfair as she was powerless to stop the holiday, risking alienating her son if she told her he could not go on a holiday of a lifetime – which she could never afford – with the father he wishes he saw more of.

She said: "I don't have the money to take my children on holiday and if I had told my son that he couldn't go on the most amazing holiday to Florida with his father, he would have hated me for it – any mother will tell you that.

"When you have a family with a father who doesn't live locally, it can be very hard to manage that relationship and I couldn't tell my son that he couldn't spend time with his father.

"Personally, I would have preferred he went away in the holidays and my ex-husband could afford to take him, but he will not listen to his ex-wife.

"I told him he would have to pay the fine and he agreed, but then I found out I got fined, too, but there was nothing I could do – I was totally helpless."

The £50 fines are issued by North East Lincolnshire Council (NELC) but they say it is done entirely on the direction of the school or academy.

A spokesman for Tollbar Academy said: "The Department For Education issues guidelines for all school absences but it's up to the individual school or academy to make that decision.

"Our policy is not to allow absences within term time, unless in exceptional circumstances, but each case is assessed on its own merit.

"In years 9, 10 and 11, there are regular controlled assessments, which count towards their overall GCSE grades and they can't go back and take them again so missing school can have a serious impact on a student's achievement.

"When recommending fines, we always recommend the parents with custody, but would recommend fines for both parents if that custody is joint."

Comments

by scartho1869
."I don't know what the issue is just pay the fine your still better off than going in school holidays. my kids are about to start school and I'm just calculating the fine into the holiday cost..... the school will love me.
Whilst I want the best for my children they will not be judged on grades they will be judged on what they achieve, that's a whole different thing. it's not that I don't care for my children's education, I left school with great grades and started work the next day. I'm in a very good job and work long hours for a good wage. I don't want my kids to make the same mistake I did I want them to travel the world so arguably I'm just educating them as I see best, so the fine in my view is no big issue."
BLOODY HELL ANOTHER BLITHERING IDIOT!!!!!!! surely a great job is "short hours for a great wage"????? and like you say, "you left school with GREAT GRADES"! they will not!

I don't know what the issue is just pay the fine your still better off than going in school holidays. my kids are about to start school and I'm just calculating the fine into the holiday cost..... the school will love me.
Whilst I want the best for my children they will not be judged on grades they will be judged on what they achieve, that's a whole different thing. it's not that I don't care for my children's education, I left school with great grades and started work the next day. I'm in a very good job and work long hours for a good wage. I don't want my kids to make the same mistake I did I want them to travel the world so arguably I'm just educating them as I see best, so the fine in my view is no big issue.

I work shifts and as such have limited opportunities to take my children on holiday within term time ,they (touch wood) do not miss school due to illness so to a point I have some sympathy with this case . It does annoy me though that Teachers that whine often forget the amount of holiday time they get off , along with the thrown in "teacher training day" .

It's definitely not a straight-forward issue. A student who never goes off sick and is taken out of school a week each year for a holiday is hardly going be as affected as one who ends up clocking in 3 weeks' absence in a year with illness. Despite this, only the former's parents would be fined.
As such, this would probably be best as something that is judged on a case by case basis by the child's teacher and headteacher based on a number of factors. Perhaps some sort of simple system based on number of days absent and academic performance in the past year?

The amazing thing about this story is that the woman has absolutely no grasp of what she has done wrong. The sad fact is that the son will probably grow up with the same thought patterns. Why does it not surprise me that the woman is also a North East Lincolnshire councillor????

This is the school thats head takes time out during term time to go on holiday.
My children are now grown and when they were at school I took them out during term time and I know that they gained more from these out of school holiday experiences than they did staying in school.
They have all grown into responsible adults all have first class degrees and all earn between £35000 and £65000 a year so so much for forcing children to stay in school.
The head of this " educational establishment" has one rule for himself and another rule for the young people in the school, which surely demonstrates a very poor sense of fairness.
I would strongly recommend this mother and any others in the same position send their child to another school,that does not rely on statistics and exam results to promote itself,